Chinese New Year or ‘Spring Festival’ also called Lunar New Year, comes on the first day of Chinese lunar calendar (日历), and ends with the Lantern Festival. Being one of the traditional Chinese festivals, it is the grandest and the most important festival for Chinese people. It is also the time for whole families to get together, which is similar to Christmas for Westerners.

During the spring festival, Chinese people will take a series of traditional activities to celebrate their reunion.

When is Chinese New Year 2019?

Chinese New Year 2019 falls on Tuesday, February 5, 2019, beginning a year of the Pig. China’s public holiday will be February 4–10, 2019.

From the 23rd day of the last lunar month, also known as Xiaonian (meaning small new year), people begin a series of activities to send off the old and welcome the new in preparation for the big celebration of the Spring Festival. These new-year celebrations will continue until the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month, which officially concludes the Spring Festival.

2019 – Year of The Pig

In 2019 Chinese New Year festival, it is the Year of the Pig according to the Chinese zodiac, runs from 5th February 2019 to 24th January 2020. Every Chinese is born with an animal sign, and the sign then becomes one’s birthmark as well as a life-long mascot.

The Zodiac year of birth is generally regarded as the year that will bring disaster and misfortune on the basis of traditional Chinese custom. Therefore, Chinese people describe the zodiac year of birth as the Threshold Year since to pass the zodiac year equals stepping across a threshold.

Chinese New Year 2019: Legends

According to the legend, Perpetual Calendar is the oldest solar calendar. It is said that the editor was a young man named Wan Nian (in English: Perpetual). In order to commemorate his achievements, people named the calendar after his name. Every family hangs his picture at the Spring Festival which is called the portrait of God of Longevity.

•Watch Lantern •Eat Sweet Dumplings •Visiting the Temple Fair

Chinese New Year 2019: Firecrackers

Firecrackers (鞭炮) were made in China, also called by folk people as “Bao Zhang”, “Pao Zhang”, “Bao Zhu”. It has a history of two thousand years. Setting off firecrackers can create a lively festive atmosphere. As a recreation, it can bring people joy and luck. Firecrackers are used in more fields as time goes by with more elegant design and various colors. People set off firecrackers on every occasion when major holidays come, or wedding ceremonies, house building ceremonies and opening ceremonies are held.

It is said that “Nian” (year) was a strong monster. People use red color and fireworks or firecrackers to drive away “Nian”. As a result, the custom of using red color and setting off fireworks remains.

Family Reunion Dinner on New Year’s Eve

年夜饭[nián yè fàn]

New Year’s Eve is the most important traditional festival and the moment of reunion. On that day, people have a dinner of a family reunion to welcome the arrival of the New Year. Even the relatives living far away will go back to celebrate the New Year.

The dumpling is the necessary food on New Year’s Eve. In the opinion of Chinese, Spring Festival cannot be perfect without having dumplings. On New Year’s Eve, every family keeps busy cutting up meat and vegetables to make dumplings together. And the sound of firecrackers comes from the street. All the people put on new clothes with a smiling face and chat with each other so happily, creating an atmosphere filled with pleasure and joy.

Chinese New Year Food

Food traditions of the Spring Festival are a very important part of the culture. There is a great variety of food made during the Spring Festival, each having its own cultural characteristics.

Different regions and ethnic groups have their own food traditions for the Spring Festival. The Han Chinese mainly have dumplings, New Year glutinous rice cakes, glutinous rice dumplings, meat balls, fish, fruits, candies, peanuts and various seeds, of which dumplings and New Year glutinous rice cakes are the most common food items.

In the northern part of China people start to eat dumplings at 12 a.m. when the old years being replaced by the new year. In Chinese this moment is called Geng Sui Jiao Zi meaning changing from the old to the new. Jiao Zi is pronounced similar to the Chinese for dumplings. Besides, the Chinese dumplings have a shape of gold ingots, which symbolize bringing in good fortune and wealth. Therefore, dumplings are one of the most favorable foods during the Spring Festival.

In the southern part of China, New Year glutinous rice cakes are a must in the Spring Festival foods because of the Chinese for NewYear glutinous rice cakes Nian Gao rhymes with the Chinese for rising higher step by step to have a better life year after year.

Chinese New Year 2019: A Journey Home

回家过年[huí jiā guò nián]

Rich or poor, you’ll be home for the Spring Festival. It is a traditional festival for family member to get together. The delicious food is tasteless without kinfolks. The luxurious palace is not home without relatives. To spend the Festival with parents, sisters and brothers, bitterness is as sweet as happiness.

Till now, “Spring Transportation” has remained a word of dilemmatic emotions. During the Spring Festival, a great number of people have to travel a long way between the city where they work and the hometown where they were born. The hard journey home full of bitter and sweet is a pilgrimage.

Chinese New Year 2019: CCTV Spring Festival Gala

The nationwide-known Spring Festival Gala or CCTV Spring Festival Gala, or simply called the Gala, is a variety of shows hosted by CCTV to celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year’s Day on the Eve of the Spring Festival.

The Gala commences at eight o’clock pm and is broadcasted live on CCTV-1, CCTV4, CCTV-7, NEWS, Spanish Channel, French Channel, Arabic Channel, Russian Channel, and some high-definition Channels. People can enjoy the live show given by CNTV through the internet or even on mobile TV and CCTV ip. The Gala lasts five hours and it won’t finish until one o’clock of the next morning. Billions of people sit in front of the TV to watch the great show while waiting for the coming of the new year.

11.喝腊八粥：eat Laba porridge 12.扫尘：sweep the dust 13.扫房：spring cleaning 14.祭灶：offer sacrifices to the God of Kitchen 15.守岁：stay up 16.拜年： pay a New Year’s call 17.祭祖：offer sacrifices to one’s ancestors 18.祭财神：worship the God of Wealth 19.春联：Spring Festival couplets 20.贴倒福：paste the Chinese character “Fu” upside down 21.去晦气：get rid of the ill-fortune 22.辞旧岁：bid farewell to the old year 23.兆头：omen 24.禁忌：taboo 25.烧香：burn incense26.吃团圆饭：have a family reunion dinner 27.年夜饭：New Year’s Eve dinner 28.全家团圆：family reunion 29.办年货：do Spring Festival shopping 30.敬酒：propose a toast 31.穿新衣：wear new clothes 32.红包：red envelops 33.压岁钱：gift money；money given to children as a Lunar New Year gift

92.生肖、属相：Chinese zodiac 93.猪年：the Year of the Pig 94.微信红包：WeChat red envelope 95.年：Nian；Year monster 96.立春： Start of Spring 97.24节气：24 Solar Terms 98.本命年：the animal year in which one was born 99.春运：Spring Festival travel rush

Treasures fill the home 财源广进 Business flourishes 事业兴隆 Peace all year round 岁岁平安 Wishing you prosperity 恭喜发财 Harmony brings wealth 家和万事兴 May all your wishes come true 心想事成 Everything goes well 万事如意 The country flourishes and people live in peace 国家富强、人民安康 Money and treasures will be plentiful 财源茂盛 Wishing you every success Promoting to a higher position 事业有成、更上一层楼、蒸蒸日上 Safe trip wherever you go 一帆风顺 Wish you happiness and prosperity in the coming year! 祝你新的一年快乐幸福 Wish you success in your career and happiness of your family! 事业成功,家庭美满(阖家欢乐) May the joy of New Year be with you throughout the year. 愿新年的快乐一年四季常在。 Peace and love for you at New Year from all your students. 祝老师新年充满平安和爱。 Wishing you a sparkling New Year and bright happy New Year! May the season bring much pleasure to you. 愿你的新年光彩夺目，愿你的新年灿烂辉煌!佳节快乐! Wishing you all the blessings of a beautiful New Year season. 愿你拥有新年所有美好的祝福。 I wish you have a happy and healthy Chinese new year! 新年快乐，身体健康！ Living long and prosper. 多福多寿。 Good luck in the year ahead. 祝你吉星高照。 Good luck in the year of pig. 祝你猪年吉星高照。